A simple idea making a big difference.

Sometimes a really simple idea produces instant benefits.

The inpatient meal tray placemat was the brainchild of two nurses in Ward 8AN, Goleta Sambo Abdi and Jamie Gehrke and it is already proving a help to patients and staff.

It not only provides patients with a QR code to order their meals, and provide feedback on those meals. The placemat also provides a visual reminder for patients to keep a section of their table clear at all times for their meal tray delivery. This improves the efficiency of meal delivery and prevents the common inconvenience of nursing staff having to negotiate cluttered patient tables.

Jamie said more patients were aware of the QR code now that it was on the placemat and not just a brochure, and nurses had noticed improvement in patients keeping the spaces clear for trays.